How Phil Spector was convicted of the murder of Lana Clarkson | US news | The Guardian Phil Spector How Phil Spector was convicted of the murder of Lana Clarkson The second trial of Harvey Phillip Spector for the murder of Lana Clarkson was dominated by one phrase: "I think I killed someone" Actor Lana Clarkson, who was killed by Phil Spector in 2003. Photograph: AP Dan Glaister in Los Angeles Monday 13 April 2009 19.46 EDT First published on Monday 13 April 2009 19.46 EDT Close This article is 7 years old The second trial of Harvey Phillip Spector for the murder of Lana Clarkson was dominated by one phrase: "I think I killed someone." The 69-year-old record producer, creator of pop's "wall of sound", was said to have uttered that phrase as he emerged from his home in the small hours of Monday, 3 February 2003.

Behind him, slumped in a fake Louis XIV chair, lay the body of Clarkson, a 40-year-old actor he had met earlier that night when she was working at the House of Blues venue on the Sunset Strip The full force of Los Angeles's celebrity crime armada descended: news helicopters hovered overhead, high-priced lawyers – celebrities in their own right – were summoned, news crews and the idly curious gathered to peer through the iron railings of Spector's home. Spector, too, played the part, seeming to revel in a return to the spotlight. He provided other staples of the Hollywood justice story: the tirade on the steps of the courthouse, the elaborate and downright weird hairdo, the rococo attire, the trophy wife, the phalanx of bodyguards. "She kissed the gun," he told one interviewer. While the first trial was dominated by forensics and the finer points on how blood spatters, the rerun came down to an elaborate game of did he, didn't he, involving meditations on memory, suggestibility and English language proficiency.

At the centre of the dispute was Spector's stand-in chauffeur on the night of Clarkson's death, Adriano de Souza, a Brazilian student who proved an unflappable witness. Despite his occasional awkwardness with English, De Souza recounted how he had collected Spector for an evening out that had seen him visit a clutch of Hollywood haunts, Trader Vic's and Dan Tana's, imbibe a huge amount of alcohol – "navy grog", 150-proof tequila – and share his evening with two dates before ending at the House of Blues. There, Spector met Clarkson, an actor whose role, far removed from the showbusiness recognition she craved, was to guard the VIP area. Initially she took the freakishly coiffed Spector for a woman, before being corrected by the management and told to treat him "like gold".

After some persuasion she agreed to go home with Spector for a nightcap, watching Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye in the back of the Mercedes S430 limousine driven by De Souza on the way to "Phil Spector's Pyrenees castle", a 33-room turreted mansion perched on a hill in the unprepossessing Los Angeles suburb of Alhambra. Two hours later, she was dead. For the second trial, almost six years after Clarkson's death, Spector downsized. Gone was the retinue of heavies that had marched into court with him every day the first time around. He was accompanied by just one bodyguard, and his young wife, Rachelle. His legal team was reduced to a single lawyer, Doron Weinberg. Facing him was the same lead prosecutor from the first trial, Alan Jackson. Without the theatrics of that trial, Weinberg's speciality was studied doubt. De Souza, he noted, had been through eight variations of the phrase "I think I killed someone" in recounting events to investigators. Surely that suggested sufficient doubt to acquit, Weinberg argued. But ultimately, Spector came up against a barrage of evidence.

Clarkson had given no indication that she was suicidal, the defence's proffered explanation. Why would someone who was just about to shoot themselves go out and buy multiple pairs of shoes? The trial heard expert testimony that people rarely kill themselves on the spur of the moment, and almost never at the home of a stranger. More damning for the defence was the judge's decision in both trials to allow evidence of prior acts by Spector involving women and guns. A parade of women at both trials described how Spector had turned from charm to menace, often fuelled by alcohol and medication. His penchant for waving guns in people's faces, they recounted, suggested an accident waiting to happen. The gruesome imagery from the crime scene also made an impression the defence found hard to dispel. The dead actor, a cult success for her incarnation of the Barbarian Queen in the eponymous film, was reduced to a film noir cliche: the blonde starlet sprawled on a chair, the bottom of her mouth blown off, a 36 Colt under her left leg. Spector's assertions to interviewers before the first trial that she was the victim of accidental suicide never seemed more ridiculous.

"If this were not Phil Spector , with a lot of money to spend, a trial like this would never have gone on for so long," said Jean Rosenbluth, a law professor at the University of Southern California. "Cases don't usually go to trial when there is this much evidence against the defendant." Spector convicted of second-degree murder - NY Daily News Phil Spector convicted of second-degree murder in shooting death of actress Lana Clarkson Spector convicted of second-degree murder DAILY NEWS WEST COAST BUREAU CHIEF Monday, April 13, 2009, 6:15 PM Phil Spector arrives at court on Monday. (Djansezian/Getty) DAILY NEWS WEST COAST BUREAU CHIEF Monday, April 13, 2009, 6:15 PM LOS ANGELES - Famed Record producer Phil Spector was convicted of second-degree murder Monday for the shooting death of B-movie actress Lana Clarkson six years ago. The judge ordered him to face the music immediately, citing his "history of violence" as he shipped the wild-eyed, big-haired Spector off to jail.

Spector's young, blond wife broke down in tears while Clarkson's mom, Donna, hugged Deputy District Attorney Alan Jackson . A Bronx native who pioneered the "Wall of Sound" style of early 1960s rock 'n' roll and produced records for the Beatles , the Ramones and The Righteous Brothers , Spector faces a minimum of 18 years for the Feb. 3, 2003, slaying. Spector, 69, fired a bullet in the mouth of Clarkson, 40, as she sat in the foyer of his castlelike mansion in Alhambra, Calif. His conviction came after a first trial in 2007 ended with a hung jury whose majority favored conviction. The first jury deliberated for about 44 hours while the retrial jurors spent about 30 hours. At both trials, which each lasted about six months, Spector's lawyers tried to convince jurors that Clarkson was despondent over a failed acting career and pointed the gun at her own face before pulling the trigger. Prosecutors argued that the reclusive Spector murdered Clarkson when the blond beauty tried to flee his home before he was ready to say goodbye.

"I feel relief for the family," Jackson said after the verdict. "Today is when the Clarkson family gets their justice." The Clarkson family is "pleased with the verdict" and that the jury "rejected the distortion and trashing of Lana Clarkson's life," family spokesman John Taylor said. But "there's no joy here today," he said, standing next to Donna Clarkson . "It's a tragedy." Jackson called several former female acquaintances to testify that Spector had threatened them with guns in alcohol-fueled incidents eerily similar to the night Clarkson died. Possibly the most damning evidence came from Spector's former chauffeur Adriano De Souza , who told jurors that Spector emerged from the mansion the night of Clarkson's death and said, "I think I killed somebody" as he held a bloody gun. 5 Years Ago: Phil Spector Convicted of Murder 5 Years Ago: Phil Spector Convicted of Murder By Nick DeRiso April 13, 2014 12:34 PM REDDIT J.

Emilio Flores, Getty Images Phil Spector remains in prison today, convicted on April 13, 2009, for the second-degree murder of Lana Clarkson — a blond actress who was found shot to death in the legendary producer’s 30-room mansion. It was a tragic end to a music career that saw as many dizzying heights as it did truly bizarre twists. Into the ’70s, Spector built his professional profile around a now-trademark “Wall of Sound” technique in the studio, featuring layers of instrumental tracks, vocals and percussion. Among his biggest initial successes were the Righteous Brothers’ ‘You’ve Lost that Lovin’ Feelin’ and the Ronette’s “Be My Baby,” both ’60s-era charttoppers. He later produced the Beatles swan song ‘Let It Be,’ and worked with John Lennon and George Harrison on huge solo hits. But sessions for a Lennon oldies project that would eventually be released in 1975 as ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll’ found Spector becoming increasingly eccentric — and then violent: “You see the man come in one day dressed as a doctor, the next as a karate expert,” Lennon’s mistress May Pang once said .

At one point, Spector disappeared with the tapes — forcing Lennon to complete the album himself. He’d reportedly pulled a gun on Lennon, and it wouldn’t be the last time. Similar incidents were also said to have happened with Leonard Cohen, Debbie Harry of Blondie , the Ramones and his ex-wife Ronnie — early signs, it seemed, of his propensity toward violence. Ronnie, lead singer of the Ronettes, detailed his increasingly cruel and erratic behavior in a 1990 autobiography. He’d even berated Tina Turner for exposing Ike Turner’s brutality, while giving her ex-husband’s eulogy. As such, what eventually happened with Clarkson, an actress who’d had bit parts in ‘Scarface’ and ‘Fast Times at Ridgemont High,’ might have seemed pre-ordained. The only mystery, at least first, seemed to be whether he would be found guilty — despite all of that anecdotal evidence, and some shocking testimony surrounding the 2003 incident. Spector’s initial trial commenced four years later, with prosecutors laying out a grisly scene : Clarkson, they said, was working as a House of Blues hostess on the Sunset Strip when she met Spector.

He asked her out for a night of drinking, and they eventually ended up at his castle-style mansion out of LA. There, when Clarkson spurned his advances, prosecutors said Spector shoved a gun in her mouth and pulled the trigger. Spector’s own driver said he heard a loud noise on the night in question, then saw the producer fleeing his home — pistol in hand — saying: ‘I think I killed someone.’ Prosecutors also said the producer, who’d taken to wearing outlandish wigs, tried to clean up the scene. Five women took the stand and testified that Spector had threatened them with firearms, as well. The jury hung, however, causing a mistrial. They’d deliberated for 15 days, but remained deadlocked with 10-2 in favor of conviction. A second trial began a year later, and this time — despite new Spector lawyer Doron Weinberg’s counter claim that his DNA was not found on the murder weapon — Spector was found guilty of second-degree murder in 2009. Lawyers had also argued over the course of six years and two court proceedings that Clarkson was suicidal, to no avail.

Jurors deliberated during these subsequent proceedings for some 30 hours before announcing their verdict. The jury also found Spector, decked out in a trademark knee-length suit jacket and another of his whimsical lapel pins, guilty of illegally discharging a firearm. Judge Larry Paul Fidler denied Spector’s bond as he awaited sentencing, citing the producer’s years-long “pattern of violence” involving firearms. Spector is now serving 19 years in prison, making him eligible for parole at age 88. See the Top 100 Albums of the ’60s Image of Phil Spector convicted of second degree murder - latimes YOU ARE HERE: LAT Home → Collections Phil Spector convicted of second degree murder Guilty verdict in shooting of Lana Clarkson means Spector may face 15 years for murder and at least 3 for gun enhancement. April 14, 2009 |Harriet Ryan A Los Angeles jury convicted Phil Spector of second-degree murder Monday, making the legendary record producer who worked with the Beatles and a host of other pop stars the first celebrity found guilty of murder on Hollywood's home turf in at least 40 years.

The verdict read in a tense, standing-room-only courtroom came six years and two trials after police found Lana Clarkson, a statuesque blond actress, shot to death in a chair in Spector's 30-room Alhambra mansion. As a Superior Court clerk pronounced the word "guilty," Spector's mouth gaped slightly, but he quickly returned to the stoic expression he has worn throughout his legal proceedings. His wife, Rachelle, who is 41 years his junior, began weeping in the front row of the spectators' gallery. The verdict of second-degree murder -- the most severe option offered to jurors -- with the use of a firearm means the 69-year-old Spector faces a mandatory life prison term when he is sentenced May 29. He must serve at least 18 years before being eligible for parole. The verdict was a cause for rejoicing in the Los Angeles County district attorney's office, where high-profile defeats in the murder trials of O.J. Simpson and Robert Blake still sting.

Though not a current A-lister -- Spector's renown derived from behind-the-scenes work that peaked in the early 1970s -- he had the deep pockets and glamorous connections frequently cited when celebrity cases fall apart "Celebrity cases are always a little different," said Dist. Atty. Steve Cooley, who called the Blake jurors "incredibly stupid" after the actor's 2005 acquittal. "Sometimes the laws of gravity as we know them don't work in celebrity cases." Asked to recall the last celebrity convicted of murder, district attorney's office spokeswoman Sandi Gibbons said, "I know there has not been one in the last 40 years and beyond that, I cannot say." Spector's attorney immediately said he would appeal. The lawyer asked that Spector remain free on $1-million bail until the sentence was imposed, but a prosecutor protested, citing Spector's history of menacing people with guns and his incentive to flee the jurisdiction. During the trial and a 2007 proceeding that ended in a hung jury, Judge Larry Paul Fidler heard extensive testimony from women who said Spector terrorized them at gunpoint, and he ordered that Spector be taken into custody immediately.

"Public safety and public protection are paramount," Fidler said. Spector, dressed in one of his trademark knee-length suit jackets with a "Barack Obama Rocks" pin on his lapel, spoke only once in the courtroom -- a hoarse "yes" in response to whether he agreed to the date of sentencing. He shuffled out of the courtroom surrounded by half a dozen uniformed court officers. He looked briefly in the direction of his wife before the door closed behind him. His attorney said Spector knew a conviction was likely. "Mr. Spector is a realistic man," said lawyer Doron Weinberg, who added that the producer's reaction to the verdict was to ask, "what was next." The verdict was an endorsement of the prosecutors' theory that Spector pulled a snub-nosed .38 Special revolver on Clarkson when she tried to leave his residence after several hours of drinking. During the trial, jurors heard from five women who said the producer drew weapons on them when he was drunk. Weinberg said the judge's decision to allow those women to testify about events stretching back three decades would be among the grounds for appeal.

"We believe analytically there is absolutely no legal basis for the admissibility of that evidence," the lawyer said. The defense had depicted the 40-year-old Clarkson, whose career had flagged after a starring role in the 1985 cult film "The Barbarian Queen," as psychologically fragile and pathetically obsessed with fame, and suggested she shot herself in a spur-of-the-moment suicide. Her mother, Donna, and sister, Fawn, declined to comment after the verdict, but John Taylor, a lawyer handling Donna Clarkson's civil suit against Spector, said, "The family is pleased that the jury rejected the distortion and trashing of Lana Clarkson's life." At a news conference after the verdict, the jury forewoman said the panel was swayed by the "totality" of the evidence laid out during five months of testimony rather than any individual pieces. Prosecutors and the defense presented dueling scientific cases with both sides insisting bloodstains and other evidence supported their version of the shooting. But the forewoman, who declined to give her name, shrugged off the science. "Each side had their experts," said the 48-year-old, who works as a paralegal in the court system.

Clarkson's mental state was a trial battleground, with prosecutors saying she was upbeat and happy and the defense insisting she was despondent. The forewoman said despite all the evidence, they remained unsure. "None of us were psychologists. None of us could evaluate a person we never met," she said. In 2009, American record producer and songwriter, Phil Spector was charged with the murder of actress Lana Clarkson in his home. Currently, Phil is serving a prison sentence. /celebs/celeb-themes/celebs-with-dark-past/eventshow/32905741.cms 25 In 2009, American record producer and songwriter, Phil Spector was charged with the murder of actress Lana Clarkson in his home. Currently, Phil is serving a prison sentence. In 2009, American record producer and songwriter, Phil Spector was charged with the murder of actress Lana Clarkson in his home. Currently, Phil is serving a prison sentence. See more of : Phil Spector Phil Spector In 2009, American record producer and songwriter, Phil Spector was charged with the murder of actress Lana Clarkson in his home. Currently, Phil is serving a prison sentence.

See more of : Phil Spector Phil Spector /celebs/celeb-themes/celebs-with-dark-past/eventshow/32905720.cms 26 The wife of 43rd President of the United States, George W. Bush, Laura Bush was embroiled in accidental death case when her speeding car collided with another, killing a 17 year old diver. Laura was never charged in the incident. The wife of 43rd President of the United States, George W. Bush, Laura Bush was embroiled in accidental death case when her speeding car collided with another, killing a 17 year old diver. Laura was never charged in the incident. (Getty Images) See more of : laura bush laura bush The wife of 43rd President of the United States, George W. Bush, Laura Bush was embroiled in accidental death case when her speeding car collided with another, killing a 17 year old diver. Laura was never charged in the incident.

(Getty Images) See more of : laura bush laura bush /celebs/celeb-themes/celebs-with-dark-past/eventshow/32905679.cms 27 American actor and husband of Sex and the City star Sarah Jessica Parker; Matthew Brodrick was embroiled in an accidental death case, when was driving on a country road in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland, and got into a wrong lane, thereby hitting another vehicle. Such was the impact of the accident that both passengers lost their lives. Matthew was charged with causing death but only got convicted of the lesser charges. American actor and husband of Sex and the City star Sarah Jessica Parker; Matthew Brodrick was embroiled in an accidental death case, when was driving on a country road in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland, and got into a wrong lane, thereby hitting another vehicle. Such was the impact of the accident that both passengers lost their lives. Matthew was charged with causing death but only got convicted of the lesser charges.

(Getty Images) Music producer Phil Spector convicted of murdering actor Lana Clarkson | US news | The Guardian Phil Spector Music producer Phil Spector convicted of murdering actor Lana Clarkson Lawyers say Phil Spector will appeal as Los Angeles jury passes guilty verdict after nine days of deliberations Dan Glaister in Los Angeles and Chris McGreal Tuesday 14 April 2009 03.52 EDT First published on Tuesday 14 April 2009 03.52 EDT Close This article is 7 years old Phil Spector is likely to die in prison after the legendary music producer was convicted of murder for shooting the actor Lana Clarkson in a drunken and "sadistic" bout of Russian roulette. The Los Angeles jury spent nearly nine days deliberating over the case in which the prosecution portrayed Spector, 68, as a misogynist with a history of pulling guns and "playing Russian roulette with the lives of women" while drunk. Prosecutors said it was only by a miracle that Clarkson, star of the cult film Barbarian Queen, was the first to die.

Spector was taken to prison to await sentencing next month – he faces a minimum of 18 years in prison following his conviction for second-degree murder at his mansion six years ago. His lawyer said he planned to appeal. The trial has destroyed the reputation of one of the most influential music producers of the 1960s, who pioneered the "wall of sound" with groups such as the Ronettes. He went on to work closely with some of the most renowned musicians of the next two decades, from the Beatles to the Ramones. Spector's wife, Rachelle, sobbed as the decision was announced. Clarkson's relatives were "pleased" with the verdict, their spokesman told reporters. With the actor's mother Donna standing by him, lawyer John Taylor said: "The family is pleased the jury rejected the distortion and trashing of Lana Clarkson's life." The defence contended that Clarkson, 40, killed herself because she was depressed over her failing career and financial worries.

But the jury at Spector's second trial – the first ended in deadlock – was persuaded by the prosecution's claim that the killing was malicious and that the music producer was a "demonic maniac" who, on other occasions, had pointed loaded guns at five women and pulled the trigger, although the hammer hit an empty chamber every time. "By the grace of God, five other women got the empty chamber and lived to tell," said the prosecutor, Truc Do. "Lana just happened to be the sixth woman who got the bullet." Do told the court that Spector was used to tormenting women without suffering any consequences because he existed "in a world where money and fame buys you the VIP treatment". "Behind the VIP was a very dangerous man, a man who believed that all women ... deserve a bullet in their head. In every single one of these incidents, Mr Spector demonstrates conscious disregard for human life. Her death was a death waiting to happen in his world." For the final prosecution statement, the deputy district attorney, Alan Jackson, repeated a theme he had struck in the first trial, taking jurors back to the night of Clarkson's death and asking them to imagine what they might have said to her before she got in Spector's car.

"You are all thinking the same thing," Jackson said. "You'd say, 'Lana, whatever you do, don't go'." In his closing statement, Spector's lawyer, Doron Weinberg, attempted to dispel the notion of the "demonic maniac", focusing on the forensic evidence which he said demonstrated that Clarkson had been holding the gun. Weinberg even showed jurors the gun that killed Clarkson, pointing it toward his own head as he argued that the bloodstains on the handle proved it had been in her hands when it was fired. "Phil Spector's DNA was nowhere on that gun," Weinberg said. "Every single fact says this is a self-inflicted gunshot wound. How do you ignore it? How do you say this could have been a homicide?" Wienberg also attacked the testimony of Spector's chauffeur, who alleged that the producer came out of his house and said: "I think I killed somebody." The driver, Weinberg said, was tired and hungry, his English was not great and a fountain was running next to the car.

"How do you know [what he said] wasn't 'Call somebody'?" Spector, who did not take the witness stand in either trial, sat with his hands shaking, looking down at the table before him. Clarkson's mother, Donna, is expected to press ahead with a wrongful death suit against Spector, whose fortune was once estimated to amount to tens of millions of dollars but has been greatly depleted by the cost of his two murder trials. Lana Clarkson - Biography - IMDb Lana Clarkson Jump to: Overview (4) | Mini Bio (1) | Trivia (11) Overview (4) 5' 11" (1.8 m) Mini Bio (1) This beautiful, long-legged blonde actress was known to be a kind, intelligent and dependable actor with a comedic talent as well. She appeared in many American TV hits of the 1970s and 1980s, such as Three's Company (1976), The Jeffersons (1975), The New Mike Hammer (1984), Riptide (1984), Knight Rider (1982), Who's the Boss?

(1984), The A-Team (1983), Night Court (1984), Wings (1990) and Silk Stalkings (1991), among others. Her big-screen debut came in the 1982 Amy Heckerling film Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982), as the character Mrs. Vargas. This film starred Sean Penn and Jennifer Jason Leigh . Lana then landed a role in the Roger Corman fantasy epic Deathstalker (1983). This led to her being offered the title role in Corman's next film, the cult classic Barbarian Queen (1985). It was this association with the legendary Corman that really put Lana on the B-movie map. After starring in "Barbarian Queen" as the sword-wielding lead, a character Corman fondly refers to as "the original Xena," Lana then reprised the role in the sequel Barbarian Queen II: The Empress Strikes Back (1990). Lana's larger-than-life personality and striking beauty, along with several of the movie roles she chose, inspired a cult fan following.

This warm fanfare was further cemented by her work in the John Landis spoof Amazon Women on the Moon (1987). She was always a favorite at the ever-growing comic book conventions, where she happily signed autographs and was known to be friendly and accessible to all of her loyal fans, both young and old alike. Lana also did stunt work in Retroactive (1997). Her last film was March (2001), as Dr. Ellen Taylor. Even though she did not do many movies toward the end of her life, she found success working in television commercials, for such products as Mercedes-Benz, Nike, Anheiser Busch, Playtex bras, Kmart and Mattel. She had been spending her time creating comedic characters for many of these companies. While working for the KMART Corp., Lana made personal appearances as the character she created for the Route 66 clothing campaign, Katie Earline Wilson. She was an actress who had more to offer Hollywood in the future, had her life not been cut so tragically short.

- IMDb Mini Biography By: Mielito@aol.com Trivia (11) On February 3, 2003, she was found shot dead in record producer Phil Spector 's home in Alhambra, California. On September 27, 2004, Phil Spector was indicted for her murder. The judge allowed him to remain free on $1,000,000 bail. A native Californian, growing up in hills of Sonoma Valley, where she enjoyed horseback riding. She loved horses and was given a roan mare named Breeze for her 10th birthday. She quickly became proficient at both English and Western riding styles. At the age of eighteen acquired her SAG card on the movie Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982), this being her first speaking role in a feature film. Her introductory lead role was in the movie Blind Date (1984), filmed in Greece, starring Kirstie Alley . While filming Barbarian Queen (1985), in Argentina, she quickly picked up on sword fighting. Her modeling career also took off, and she found herself working on high fashion photo shoots, traveling around the United States and Europe.

Other projects found her in Japan, Italy, Switzerland, France, Argentina and Mexico. Through her travels, she learned to speak both Spanish and Italian quite well. She volunteered weekly at the AIDS charity "Project Angel Food," which delivers food to those in LA disabled by HIV or AIDS. Was originally cast as an extra for the high school prom sequence in Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982). Character actor Vincent Schiavelli came up with the idea of his character Mr. Vargas having a beautiful blonde young wife on the spot while the sequence was being filmed. He choose Lana Clarkson from a line-up of extras to portray Mrs. Vargas. While shooting a Playtex commercial, Lana met and befriended actor Michael Worth who would later help train Lana in martial arts for her film roles. On Monday, April 13th, 2009, Phil Spector was convicted Monday of second-degree murder in the shooting death of Clarkson at his mansion six years ago. On Friday, May 29, 2009, Phil Spector was sentenced to 19 years to life in prison for the murder of Lana Clarkson. Was in Scarface (1983), which starred Al Pacino .

In 2013, Pacino would play Phil Spector , the man who killed her. See also Phil Spector found guilty of actress' 2003 murder - CNN.com Phil Spector found guilty of actress' 2003 murder Story Highlights NEW: Defense says it will appeal; "We don't believe justice was done" Phil Spector guilty of second-degree murder at retrial He faces 15 years to life in prison for shooting death of Lana Clarkson Renowned music producer accused in death of actress in 2003 LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- After about 30 hours of deliberation, a jury on Monday convicted music producer Phil Spector of second-degree murder in the death of actress Lana Clarkson more than six years ago. Phil Spector will not remain free on bail pending his May 29 sentencing. Wearing a black suit with a red tie and pocket square, Spector showed no reaction as the verdict was announced. Now 69, he faces a sentence of 18 years to life in prison when he is sentenced May 29.

Asked if he agreed to the sentencing date, Spector quietly answered, "Yes." Prosecutor Alan Jackson said he believed the jury reached the correct verdict, and he acknowledged the strength and backing of Clarkson's family. But defense attorney Doron Weinberg said Spector's defense team disagreed and planned to appeal. "We don't believe justice was done," Weinberg said. Superior Court Judge Larry Paul Fidler declined to allow Spector to remain free on bail pending sentencing, citing Spector's years-long "pattern of violence" involving firearms. "This was not an isolated incident," Fidler said, noting Spector's two previous firearm-related convictions from the 1970s. "The taking of an innocent human life, it doesn't get any more serious than that." Don't Miss DA: Who buys shoes and then commits suicide? Spector's wife, Rachelle, was in the courtroom to hear the verdict Monday, as was Clarkson's mother, Donna. Clarkson, 40, was found dead, slumped in a chair in the foyer of Spector's Alhambra, California, mansion with a gunshot wound through the roof of her mouth in February 2003.

A mistrial was declared in Spector's first trial in September 2007. After deliberating 15 days, jurors told Fidler that they were unable to reach a verdict. Spector was also charged with second-degree murder in that trial. Jurors deadlocked 10-2 in favor of conviction. In closing arguments at the retrial, prosecutor Truc Do called Spector "a very dangerous man" who "has a history of playing Russian roulette with women -- six women. Lana just happened to be the sixth." Weinberg argued that the prosecution's case hinged on circumstantial evidence. He said the possibility that Clarkson committed suicide could not be ruled out. Do pointed out, however, to jurors that Clarkson bought new shoes on the day of her death -- something a suicidal woman would not have done, the prosecutor said. A female juror who declined to be identified told reporters the jurors considered all the evidence and testimony to reach their verdict. "This entire jury took this so seriously," she said with tears in her eyes, before adding that "it's tough to be in a jury," because another person's life is in the jury's hands.

Clarkson starred in the 1985 B-movie "Barbarian Queen" and appeared in many other films, including "DeathStalker," "Blind Date," "Scarface," "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" and the spoof "Amazon Women on the Moon." She was working as a VIP hostess at Hollywood's House of Blues at the time of her death. In the 2007 trial, Spector's attorneys argued that Clarkson was depressed over a recent breakup and grabbed a .38-caliber pistol to kill herself while at Spector's home. But prosecution witnesses painted Spector as a gun-toting menace. Five women took the stand and claimed he had threatened them with firearms. His driver testified that he heard a loud noise and saw the producer leave the home, pistol in hand, saying, "I think I killed somebody." Spector's retrial began in October. Fidler ruled that jurors could consider the lesser charge of involuntary manslaughter against Spector.

Spector's professional trademark was the "Wall of Sound," the layering of instrumental tracks and percussion that underpinned a string of hits on his Philles label -- named for Spector and his business partner, Lester Sill -- in the early 1960s. iReport.com: What do you think of this verdict? The roaring arrangements were the heart of what he called "little symphonies for the kids" -- among them No. 1 hits like the Ronettes' "Be My Baby" and the Righteous Brothers' "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'." Spector co-produced the Beatles' final album, "Let It Be," and worked with ex-Beatles George Harrison and John Lennon on solo projects after the group broke up. His recording of Harrison's 1971 benefit concert for war relief in Bangladesh won the 1972 Grammy award for album of the year. Spector has won two Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989, but he stayed out of the public eye for two decades before his 2003 arrest in Clarkson's death.

Lana Clarkson Publicist Pickets Screening of HBO's 'Phil Spector' | Hollywood Reporter Lana Clarkson Publicist Pickets Screening of HBO's 'Phil Spector' 10:52 PM PDT 3/14/2013 by Aaron Couch COMMENTS UPDATED: HBO released a statement saying director David Mamet "approaches the story of Phil Spector as a mythological one, not as a news story." Friends of slain actress Lana Clarkson protested outside a screening of the HBO film Phil Spector on Thursday, charging the Al Pacino-toplined project with implying that she committed suicide. Clarkson was found dead in 2003 inside the Alhambra mansion of record producer Phil Spector, who in 2009 was convicted of second-degree murder in her death and sentenced to 19 years to life in prison. One of the protesters, veteran publicist and former Clarkson rep Edward Lozzi, told The Hollywood Reporter the group initially hoped to stop the film from being made, but had refocused its efforts on ensuring that Phil Spector receives no Emmys. "To see that this film was going to be made was a slap in the face," Lozzi says.

"We were so happy Phil Spector was in prison." TV REVIEW: Phil Spector Lozzi and two other men stood outside the Los Angeles County Museum of Art holding signs reading: "HBO’s ‘Phil Spector’ murders the truth. No Emmy for the film that hurts people alive today." The true-crime biopic from writer-director David Mamet stars Pacino as Spector and Helen Mirren as defense attorney Linda Kenney Baden. Lozzi, who says he has seen the film, claims it focuses too strongly on Spector’s defense, which centered on the assertion that the actress ended her own life. According to Lozzi, the film strongly suggests Clarkson killed herself because she was depressed that she had turned 40. In a statement to THR, HBO calls the film an "exploration of the client-attorney relationship between" Spector and Baden. "Mamet approaches the story of Phil Spector as a mythological one, not as a news story, and the film is not an attempt to comment upon the trial or its outcome," the statement reads.

"HBO’s goal is to provide a creative platform for three great artists – David Mamet, Al Pacino and Helen Mirren – to explore this complex chapter in recent cultural history. While there may be many disparate interpretations of the film’s intentions, we feel the film speaks for itself." In his review of the film, THR chief TV critic Tim Goodman opined that Phil Spector attempts to plant a reasonable doubt about Spector’s guilt in the minds of its viewers. "Even though the movie is loaded with enough to satisfy those who believe Spector did it, as Mirren’s role is written and Pacino’s performance hints at, the film seems eager to suggest Spector was found guilty mostly of being a freak," Goodman wrote. He added: "That have-it-both-ways storytelling doesn’t make Phil Spector a great legal movie, but it allows two exceptional actors and a talented writer a chance to play with reality." In a 2011 Financial Times interview , Mamet suggested Spector might be innocent. "Whether he did it or not, we’ll never know, but if he’d just been a regular citizen, they never would have indicted him," Mamet was quoted as saying.

VIDEO: 'Phil Spector' Trailer: Pacino Wigs Out Lozzi said there are about 50 core members of the group that the protest represented, Friends of Lana Clarkson, which has the goal of protecting the actress’ legacy. Another member of the group, Paul F. Fegen (a magician who goes by the stage name The Fantastic Fig), said he used to throw parties Clarkson would attend. "I knew her as a very nice, sweet girl. She would never commit suicide," he said.

Question: Who in May 2009 was convicted of the murder of Lana Clarkson?
Answer: Phil Spector